𝐓𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫 ~ 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

23. Feel-good

A/N.: This chapter wasn't exactly planned. So enjoy it as the day off drama for my two babies <3

It is the day before your graduation ceremony, so the days have gone by pretty quickly since you left your parents' home. You've received your results from your last exams, you got the answer back from UNC-Chapel Hill, and your summer is finally starting. Nothing's holding you back now. There are no more secrets. No more drama. Nothing. It's just you, Rafe, and, of course, Patty.

"I'm starting to think they love you more than me," Patty says as you two look through the snack aisle.

They, meaning her parents, got home last night with no prior warning and discovered you living in their spare room. You expected to be given at most a week to pack your things and go. Nope, you got invited for dinner and got wine drunk with her mom as you celebrated your high school grand finish with straight A's.

"You're exaggerating." You roll your eyes.

"I wish I were," She sighs dramatically, "But they've literally just texted me after we left the house to make sure that you wear sunscreen." And you laugh uncontrollably at that.

Maybe you had a magic touch with families. After all, Rafe's wasn't much different. You haven't been to his house to tutor Wheezie ever since she got done with her exams, but he has been telling you how Rose wants you to come over for dinner nearly every night. And Sarah has been nagging him non-stop to finally have your number, since you're a lost cause when it comes to answering DM's on social media. Also, Wheezie has always loved you, so dating her brother only really made things that much better for her. And Rose and Ward welcomed you, maybe a little too fast, after the party.

With your hands full of your favorite snacks, you decide to abandon not-so-only-child-anymore Patty to go leave them at the register and vacant your hands once more. There, some drinks already wait to be paid for, but you assume Rafe and Kelce are still going to grab some more. You offer the girl working at the register a small smile, which she answers back with one of her own, and the sound of the ringing bell of the door invades the small store.

You look over to find Sarah and her friends soon follow. You've never formally met them, but you're sure many people could recognize them from afar. It's the usual group of JJ, John B, and Kiara, though Pope is nowhere to be seen. Probably waiting in the van, just like Topper is waiting at the Jeep.

Sarah's squeal of excitement fills the store when she sees you, and before you can even smile at her, her arms are securely around you, pulling you into a hug.

"Oh my god, I finally get to see you," She exclaims, "Rafe has been an asshole and refuses to give me your number."

She pulls away from the hug to look at you, and her excitement is contagious, making you smile at her back.

"I'm not sure why he's not giving you my number," You try to justify, "I've told him to do it-"

"He's a gatekeeping bitch, that's why." She says, probably knowing that he's somewhere in the store and might hear him. "I only want to go shopping or hang out with you. He acts like I'm trying to steal you away every time."

You laugh at her frustration, and as you pull your phone out to give it to her - in a silent gesture for her to give you her number and text herself - you notice that her friend group has not moved on with their shopping without her. They're all looking at you two.

You can tell from some faces that, at least, John B. and JJ don't recognize you, but Kiara surely does. You went to middle school together, after all. The guys look at you as if they're not sure about you, whether to like you or not. Sarah surely likes you, but, from the conversation they've heard till now, they're not all that sure about you anymore. Kiara, on the other hand, seems bored with having to wait for Sarah, but her face grew into annoyance pretty quickly.